Retired: Follow Your Passions

If you’re retired and looking for an alternative to the crazy goings-on all around, there is hope. Use this time to follow your passions.

Consider cutting the time spent in front of the TV watching reports of politics spiraling out of control and frightening crime statistics. Consider limiting use of the internet and smartphones. My gosh, how many hours would we save in each day if we did this?

And what can we do with that time? Well, begin with all those interests and hobbies you dreamed of enjoying in years past – but never could because you had to earn a living and climb the corporate ladder.

Did you enjoy making model cars? gardening? sewing? drawing? Oh, I don’t know, maybe you liked to tinker with mechanics? Or you loved to cook and bake exotic dishes? Or, perhaps, sports was your passion…or you love animals. 

It doesn’t matter. Once you reach that “certain age” you can throw yourself into some of the most exciting activities.  

My personal interests have always included reading and writing, music, needlework and gardening. Most recently I’ve added working with acrylic paints.  

We face an interesting challenge when we finally start actively following these kinds of interests for real, though. We often feel very inadequate and discouraged by the results of our first efforts. We look around and see others who are so much better than we are. The temptation is to crawl back onto that couch or rocking chair and turn on the TV. 

But, remember, any interest or activity takes practice. Our first efforts normally resemble the scribbling of a 2-year-old trying to write his or her name. The people we compare ourselves to typically have been actively practicing their interests for 20-30-40 years and more. The key is to remember we can learn from others who are better than we are but we’re on our own journey and we only need to compare ourselves with ourselves. 

We need to experiment and practice until we finally get “good enough” and until we finally find our groove. Maybe only one in 10 efforts will result in what we might be happy with. But there is nothing more satisfying or thrilling than being able to say “I did that”. 

Think of it this way. Our goal now is to have fun and make our own lives in our own little corner of the world better. Finally, we have the time and freedom to do that.

Do you have a special interest you’d like to share? A question or suggestion? We’d love to hear from you.